Woodyanders Review of Vapors

Vapors (1965)

A compellingly stark and sordid depiction of the 60's New York gay bath house scene

[8/10 · 13 February 2008]

Awkward young gay man Thomas (an engagingly gawky performance by Gerard Jacuzzo) goes to a bath house and encounters a diverse array of homosexual guys. Thomas strikes up a rapport with the friendly, but frustrated and unhappily married Mr. Jaffee (superbly played with riveting gravitas by Robert Dahdah). Andy Milligan, working from a sharp, bold, incisive script by Hope Stansbury, does an expert job of creating and sustaining an arrestingly gritty and seedy atmosphere while delivering a rough-around-the-edges, yet touching and compassionate cinematic meditation on loneliness and the basic human need for direct emotional contact. This movie boasts several poignant and powerful moments, with Mr. Jaffee's sad monologue about the tragic untimely drowning death of his son rating as a positively gut-wrenching highlight. The first-rate naturalistic acting from a uniformly tip-top cast qualifies as another significant asset: Jacuzzo and Dahdah are outstanding in the leads, with fine support from Hal Borske as the bitter, spiteful Mavis, Hal Sherwood as the effeminate Miss Parrish, Richard Goldberger as the catty Thumbelina, and Ron Keith as an aggressive seducer. Milligan's raw and grainy 16mm black and white hand-held cinematography further adds to the jolting impact and immediacy of this intriguing short feature. Proof positive that Andy Milligan could make a genuinely good picture when given the right material to work with.